Those are things it didn’t have before the fire department developed its first strategic plan in 2019.
With the assistance of the Center for Public Safety Excellence, a second plan has been developed that will help guide operations for the next five years.
It has five broad goals addressing personnel, improving community relations, readiness/capital resources, ongoing training and compliance with national fire standards through risk assessment and data-driven analysis.
“This will drive what we do over the next five years,’’ said Chief Ethan Klussman.
“This will be our roadmap for success. I always want to have that roadmap to make sure we’re pointing our ship in the right direction.”
The plan was developed with input from firefighters, educators, community organizations, the public, businesses, and those in the health care industry as outlined in the 24-page document.
A separate, Management and Implementation Guide was created to “give us a kind of playbook to work through goals and implement them,” Klussman said.
The strategic plan includes 15 expectations of the community ranging from prompt response with the correct equipment and staff, to well-trained personnel who are professional, reliable and calm in emergency situations — whether it be a medical or fire call.
The community also wants the department to be mindful of how taxpayer dollars are spent, partnerships with other agencies as well as the community, and to be prepared for any kind of threat or situation.
Nineteen concerns were also outlined with the highest having to do with ensuring adequate staff from a limited pool of candidates and keeping them in Liberty Twp. as the township grows.
The public also wanted more community education, interaction with citizens outside of emergencies and consistent communication.
Final goals with objectives, tasks, timelines and assignments are included in the Management and Implementation Guide. They cover human resources, community relations, capital resources, training and national standards to meet.
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